The city of Palermo, which is the capital and largest city on Sicily, was founded in the 8th century BC by Phoenician tradesmen around a natural harbour on the north-western coast of Sicily. The Phoenician name for the city may have been Zīz, but Greeks called it Panormus, meaning all-port, because of its good natural harbour.
Palermo remained a Phoenician city until the First Punic War (264-241 BC), when Sicily fell under Roman rule. The Roman period was one of comparative calm, Palermo coming under the provincial administration in Syracuse. When the Roman Empire was split, Sicily and Palermo came under the rule of the Eastern Byzantine Empire.
Sights- and historical buildings in Palermo
Apart from many roman ruins a special site of interest is the Capuchin Catacombs, with many mummified corpses in varying degrees of preservation.
To Palermo by Air
The Airports of Rome and Milan are the most used connection points. A flight will take less then an hour from Rome and a bit longer from Milan. In summer there are various charter flights operated by the major European airlines which fly to Palermo from many major European centers.
To Palermo by Sea
There is a ferry service from Naples to Palermo (app. 7 hours) as well a much faster hydrofoil or catamaran variant (app. 4 hours).
To Palermo by Land
From the Italian mainland to Palermo one can get by train or car by crossing the Strait of Messina with a ferry.
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